Folding chair.



PATENTED JAN, 16, 1905.

U. MBTTLER.

FQLDING CHAIR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAE. 4, 1904.

TATES Patented January 10, 1905.

CASPAR METTLER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE- HALF TOROLLTN S. W OODRUFF, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

FOLDIING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,006, dated January 10, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CASPAR Mn'rrnna, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State 5 of Connecticut, have invented a new and use ful lmprovement in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to an improvement in folding chairs, and has for its object to pro- I vide a chair which may be folded into such a position that it will occupy a very small space and permit a number of the chairs to be read ily stacked, the chair when unfolded being brought into a comfortable position for use.

A further object is to provide a chair in wnich the side members of the seat and back and the legs are made of angle-iron construction, whereby the chair may be made very strong and at the same time occupy a small space.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the chair in side eleva- 5 tion in its unfolded position. Fig. 9. is a back view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the chair in its folded position. Fig. i is an enlarged detail side view of the connection between the corresponding side members of the back, the seat, and the legs, with the parts in the position which they assume when the chair is unfolded, as in use. Fig. 5 is a similar view with the parts in the position which they asaume when the chair is folded. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view, in

side elevation, showing the sliding pivotal connection between the corresponding members of the two pairs of legs; and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the same.

4 The two side members or rails of the back are denoted by 1, and they are connected by one or more cross-pieces 2. These side rails are hinged at their lower ends to the upper ends of side members 3 of one pair of legs,

which members are connected by one or more cross-pieces 41, in the present instance two of such cross-pieces being shown. The members of a second pair of legs, which cross the members of the first pair, are denoted by 5 Application filed March 4: 190a. Serial No. 196,491.

and have a sliding pivotal connection with 5 the members 3 of the other pair of legs. These members 5 are connected by one or more cross-pieces 6.

The side members or rails of the seat are denoted by 7, which members or rails are con- 5 5 nected by a plurality of cross-pieces 8. The inner ends of these side rails or members are hinged to the lower ends of the side members l of the back, at points a short distance above the hinged connection between the side members 1 of the back and the side members 3 of one pair of legs. These hinged connections are denoted by 9. The outer ends of the side members 7 of the seat are hinged at 10 to the upper ends of the side members 5 of the other pair of legs.

The side members of the back, the two pairs of legs, and the seat are all of angle-iron construction, thus producing a chair of great strength with a minimum amount of material and size. The cross-pieces which connect the side members of the back, the two pairs of legs, and the seat may be made of wood or other suitable material, as may be desired.

Each of the sliding pivotal connections between the corresponding members of the pairs of legs is constructed as follows: A plate 11 is pivoted to the outer face of the leg member 3, which plate is provided with a plurality of studs 12, fitted to engage the transverse flange of the leg member 5, and a hook 13, which embraces the vertical flange of the member 5. This hook 13 serves to retain the leg member 5 against lateral movement away from the leg member 3. The member 5 is provided with an inwardly-projected stud 14:, which engages the plate 11 and serves as a stop when the chair has been unfolded into position for use. The member 5 has a free sliding engagement in the plate 11 as the seat 9 7 is swung up into its folded position. The

means which I employ for positively forcing the back into a position forward of the plane of the pair of legs to which it is hinged when unfolded and into a plane back of but parallel with the plane of the said pair of legs when the chair is folded is constructed as follows: The forward edge of each of the side members 1 of the back adjacent to the hinged connection 17 with the leg member 3 is provided with a cam-face 15, terminating at its lower end in a stop or abutment 16. The lower edge of each of the side members 7 of the seat adjacent to its hinged connection 9 with the side member 1 of the back is provided with a double cam-face 18, terminating in front and rear shallow sockets 19 and 20. The leg member 3 is provided with a laterally-extended lug 21 adjacent to the hinged connection 17 and a laterally-extended lug 22 adjacent to the hinged connection 9. The arrangement of these cams 18 and 15 and lugs 21 and 22 with relation to the hinged connections 17 and 9 is such that when the seat is swung down into a substantially horizontal position to unfold the chair the back of the chair will be positively swung into a plane at an angle forward of the plane of the pair of legsto which the back is hinged. hen the seat is swung upwardly to the limit of its movement to fold the chair, the back will be positively forced into a plane back of but parallel with the plane of the pair of legs to which the back is hinged. The transverse flanges of the side members 1, 7, and 3 are cut away adjacent to their hinged connections, so as to permit the members to be folded into substantially the same fore and back plane.

WVhen the chair is folded, the seat and the two pairs of legs are brought into the same transverse plane and the back into a parallel plane immediately back of the plane of the other parts. This produces a chair which 00- cupies an extremely small amount of room when folded and yet when unfolded permits the back to be brought into a comfortable position with respect to the seat, which is the object of the present invention.

By forming the side members of angle-iron construction I am enabled to produce a chair which is much simpler than one formed of Wood, and thus I am enabled to pack a greater number of chairs in a predetermined space than has heretofore been possible. Furthermore, the chair is not subject to weather conditions tending to warp and distort the same,

and it better withstands the rough usage to which this type of chair is subjected.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A chair comprising two pairs of legs havingasliding pivotal connection, a back hinged to one pair of legs, a seat hinged to the back above its hinged connection with said pair of legs and also hinged to the other pair of legs, and means for positively swinging the back into a forward angle with respect to its legs when the chair is unfolded and into a plane parallel therewith when the chair is folded.

2. A chair comprising two pairs of legs having a sliding pivotal connection, a back hinged to one pair of legs, a seat hinged to the back and to the other pair of legs, each side member of the back being provided with a cam-surface, each side member of the seat being provided with a cam-surface and each side member of the leg to which the back is hinged being provided with lugs arranged to c0act with said cam-surfaces for positivelyswinging the back into an angle forward of its legs when the chair is unfolded and into a plane parallel therewith when the chair is folded.

3. A chair comprising two pairs of legs having a sliding pivotal connection, a back hinged to one pair of legs, a seat hinged to the back and to the other pair of legs, each side member of the back having a cam-surface and an abutment adjacent to the hinged connection with its leg member, the seat side member having a double cam-surface adjacent to its hinged connection with the back sidemember, the said leg member having two studs arranged to coact with said cam-surface for positively swinging the back into a forward angle with respect to its legs when the chair is'unfolded and into a plane parallel therewith when the chair is folded.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 23d day of February, 1904.

CASPAR METTLER.

WVitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, O. S. SUNDGREN. 

